Steve Riley
Quarantine Office Hours for Zoom meetings: Tuesdays 11:00-11:30 a.m. and Fridays 1:00-1:30 p.m.

Tuesday meeting link (copy and paste URL into your web browser): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/500540098?pwd=VmRSeUFSaXQ5QjRYSzJ0TTRYZVV1UT09

Friday meeting link (copy and paste URL into your web browser): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/304998923?pwd=N3ZKa3hIdm5wYXlVZGN6dVBDMGN4Zz09

My Coronavirus Quarantine

Your English 1 and English 3 assignment is to write a journal about your quarantine from the Coronavirus. This is important writing because we are going through a historic time. We’ve never been through anything like this. I will give you a prompt related to your quarantine every week. Type your journal entry every week and e-mail or share it in Office 365: [email protected] Week 2 prompt What have you learned during your quarantine? My example: I have learned to not take things for granted. I haven't seen most people in my family for a month. Sure, it's OK to Zoom and Facetime. But it's not the same. I haven't seen my teaching colleagues or students at Columbus for the same amount of time. And this forced separation has made me realize one very important thing: My teaching of English and writing and reading, etc. is important, but it isn't as important as the relationships that I make with students and colleagues. I've had one Zoom meeting with students so far, and 5 of them showed up. Just talking to them, shooting the breeze, talking to them about their lives, was meaningful. I haven't talked to my XC/track runners for a month, either. And I really miss them. Their goofy banter, their love for each other, their desire to give their best every day. I miss all that stuff. So what I've learned is probably something I've known all along. It's the human relationships that really matter. ------------------------ In cased you missed it .... Week 1 prompt What have you done during your quarantine? What are your thoughts? Use your best Showing Not Telling writing. Use description, details, quotes.

Here is my example:

I like snow days as much as anyone. But 18 consecutive snow days? And to top it off, we had 3 spring break days and 8 weekend days so far. So it’s been 29 days since I’ve been at school. Obviously, these aren’t like snow days. We have to stay inside, for the most part, and away from other people. And people are getting sick and dying everywhere. It has been the most eventful month I can ever remember. I really do wish we could go back to school sometime.

What have I been doing during my quarantine? Going to bed late and sleeping late. Watching different TV shows. So my wife and I are really getting into a show called The Americans, about some Russian KGB spies living in the United States. I am on Twitter way more than I need to be. I have read two books: Running For Glory, about a cross country team in Yakima, Washington, and Stephen King: On Writing, kind of a book about his life and how he became a writer. I’ve been getting in better shape: I have had two weeks of running, walking, and doing pushups, situps, squats, etc. I mowed my yard and am going to try to grow tomatoes and peppers. My wife and I have been facetimeing with kids and grandkids, a little every day. I’ve been learning different things about coaching. I’ve been staying in touch with cross country/track kids. I barely go anywhere -- basically just to Hy-Vee once a week.

I’ve also been wondering what things are going to be like when we finally do go back to school and return to normal with life. Some businesses are going to be devastated. Will social distancing still be a thing? Do we have to worry about the virus coming back? In some ways this is a very good time to really get in touch with the people who are important in your life. But it also is a difficult time and proves to me that I need my life as a teacher and coach. I miss you guys!